Tour offers behind-the-scenes look at racing
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Just like the city, the backstretch never sleeps.
It’s a 24/7 world where more than 1,000 exercise riders, grooms and hotwalkers work from long before sunup until well past the day’s last race, caring for the racing industry’s glamorous equine athletes.
Fans can get a behind-thescenes glimpse of such activity during free 7:30- 9 a.m. tours, held daily except Tuesdays and Travers Day (Saturday, Aug. 25).
“This isn’t a job, it’s a life,” said Marie Costa, a Saratoga Race Course guide.
The backstretch epicenter is a small coffee shop called The Saratoga Morning Line, an economic crossroads where wealthy trainers and owners mingle with the sport’s unsung heroes, an army of mostly Latin-American workers who handle their prized animals.
“It’s also the equivalent of the office water cooler,” Costa said. “That’s where all the good gossip happens.”
Occasionally, hot tips produce handsome payoffs, too.
Long-time guide John Weber, of Queensbury, never knows who might show up for a tour.
One time, his group included Carl Hanford, the trainer of fivetime Horse of the Year Kelso. Both he and Kelso are in the Hall of Fame.
“He was a fantastic guy, the most humble man I’ve ever met,” Weber said. “He gave all the credit to Kelso for his being in the Hall of Fame, and I suspect that Kelso responded to his personality and that’s why Kelso is in the Hall of Fame, too.
Another time, Weber’s tour included a couple from the
Ukraine, who stumbled upon the racecourse quite by accident.
“They were heading up to Montreal, saw all the traffic getting off Exit 14, so they followed it. They saw all the cars going into the Union Avenue parking lot, so they followed them. And they saw everybody going into this big building, so they followed them. They didn’t know it was a racetrack,” said Weber, still amused by the memory. “It was a very interesting tour.”
He gives visitors a brief history of the track, starting with the very first meet in August 1863, which lasted four days. The daily competition was a threerace series of heats. If different horses won the first two heats, they’d square off in a third and final showdown to determine the day’s winner.
Many people start their Saratoga morning by enjoying a breakfast buffet on the racecourse’s clubhouse porch, which affords a chance to see horses working out on the main track.
Backstretch tours, which last about 45 minutes, depart from the clubhouse entrance every 15 minutes. Visitors take trams to the barn area where guides walk guests through the grounds, explaining ins and outs of the highly competitive racing business.
The first stop is at Clare Court, a training track, where Tammy Lynch introduces guests to her lead pony, Wish.
Unl i ke racehorses , which are bred for speed, lead ponies are cool, calm and collected and play a vitally important role by accompanying entries to the starting gate.
Wish is a big hit with tour group children, who get up close to give him a friendly pat on the nose and pose for pictures.
Clare Court, named for Anne Clare, the racecourse superintendent from about 1940- 60, is also the burial place of three horses including the legendary Fourstardave, who won at least one race eight straight years (1987-94) at Saratoga.
The backstretch is a side of the track many people never see, but a trip there is well worth the time for a better understanding of America’s most historic sports venue, and the people who make it work.
Tim Burns, of Delmar, said this was one of the most insightful things he learned on the tour.
“Just understanding how many people work here,” he said. “It’s good for employment, good for the economy. The whole area needs it.”
Before fans leave, Weber gives them a bit of advice about the best tip sheets to buy, so they can place win- ning wagers.
“Whatever you do today,” he says, smiling, “please, please make some money.”
Tours of the track’s front side to points of interest such as the Big Red Spring and Walk of Fame are also available. These are offered daily during the meet at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tours are not offered after 11:30 a.m. on Travers Day. Tours are $3 per person or $10 per family. Tours can be booked by calling (518) 584- 6200, extension 4433.